He treats the glasses of water in front of him like exquisite wines. He rolls the liquid around the glass, sniffs, sips and swallows the water in utmost concentration. Bubble size, aftertaste and mineral content all make a crucial difference to the final verdict of this sommelier. It is already midday, but he still hasn’t eaten anything. In order to taste to the best of his ability, his well-developed palette has to be left untouched.
Water has become a chic commodity in 2009. Top hotels offer a Carte des Eaux that features water from all around the world (both still and sparkling). Special water sommeliers are employed to pair fine waters with wines and food. They would tell you, for example, that loud, bold bubbles overpower subtle dishes, while still water is not ideal with crispy food, like fried dishes. Their worst nightmare would be if you added ice cubes or a slice of lemon to their fine waters as this can strongly alter the original flavor.
In Europe and the United States, boutique water bars and shops are opening up. There are about 3,000 brands of bottled water around the world and water lovers know that they don’t all taste the same. Sharing the story of the water’s source, its origin and the location and circumstances of its bottling can contribute to the overall experience.
No wonder FIJI water from an aquifer in the volcanic highlands of the island offers people a different taste to Lauquen, a high-end artesian mineral water bottled at an isolated aquifer deep in the Argentinean Andes. Lauquen is advertised as never having been exposed to air, until bottled. The bottle for Antipodes is designed like a nineteenth century whisky bottle, while Bling H2O’s bottle is embellished with Swarovski crystals. Philippe Starck designed a bottle for St.George based on an ancient bottle found in the same town as the spring. Ross Lovegrove created a bottle for Ty Nant that looks like a cascade of frozen water. Real water lovers own water cellars with collections of more than 50 different brands.
High-end waters are always bottled in glass and some water purveyors claim that they offer health benefits. A high-end water from Fiji contains silica, said to be good for the skin, and another from France is high in magnesium, a solution for constipation. One Italian water is full of calcium, which is good for health bones.
As far as Vaccarini is concerned, the art of tasting water is very similar to the art of tasting wine. Adjectives long used to describe wine are now applied to water. He uses words like ‘aggressive’ and ‘a clean aftertaste,’ to describe the bouquet. He suggests that flat water pairs best with most white wines and sparkling water is better with most reds. But, of course, try and taste that for yourselves!
HOW TO CONDUCT A WATER TASTING – San Pellegrino guidelines:
You need:
- Glasses in different shapes for each water sample
- tasting charts and a pen
- a jug of tap water
- Pour your first sample into a glass, filling it around 1/3 of the way up. Take a generous sip and assess its freshness.
- Empty the remaining water from the glass and fill it once again 1/3 of the way up with the same sample. Raise the glass to your eye level and then lower it to observe the water from above. Horizontal and vertical evaluations of the water will allow you to identify any foreign particles or abnormal colors. Most importantly, it will allow you to appreciate the effervescence of sparkling water.
- Raise the glass under your nose and breathe in deeply at regular intervals. This step has to be repeated several times. Close your eyes to concentrate.
- Take a sip of the sample, approximately 15 ml. Allow it to rest on your tongue and then wash it around your mouth. Draw the water to the back of your tongue and swallow. This process allows you to evaluate the acidity, sapidity, structure, lightness and feel of the water in your mouth.
- Once again, take a generous sip of the water, allowing it to rest on your tongue. Allow a small quantity of air into your mouth and exhale through your nose. Draw the water to the back of your tongue and swallow.
- Rinse your mouth with tap water and proceed with the next sample.
